PHOTOS: Indie Electronic Music Project “Plain District” Stuns Beijing

One of China’s most up-and-coming electronic music projects, Plain District presented its latest Beijing showcase on October 3 at an abandoned factory inside Beijing’s iconic art and cultural center, 798 Art District.

The crowd getting down at Plain District

As part of this year’s Beijing International Design Week 751, the immersive one-day event included a series of uniquely curated DJ sets and live performances by some incredibly talented musicians. Among them: the Beijing-based synthesizer designer Meng Qi, the improvisational electronic musician and visual artist tamiX, as well as DJ ANGELVS, an active member of the underground music community in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Organizers also hosted a panel discussion on China’s electronic music scene and its relation to youth culture.

Meng Qi and tamiX

An epic concert requires an epic venue, in this case — an abandoned factory

The memorable venue’s exterior

Launched this year in June, Plain District seeks to find unique venues for unconventional sounds and voices in four Chinese cities — Qingdao, Shenzhen, Yangshuo, and Beijing.

For its previous events, DJs hit the decks at a historic tunnel in Qingdao, an underground music club in the South China megacity of Shenzhen, an old sugar mill in the picturesque town of Yangshuo, and Zhao Dai, the core of Beijing’s vivid nightlife culture.

Organizer and DJ MMS — Markus M Schneider

The venue’s entrance

Meng Qi and tamiX

A snap from the panel discussion on China’s electronic music scene

We’d be lying if we said we aren’t amped for their next event!

All photos by Siyuan Meng